The winner of the competition will be awarded a place on Alliance’s Pure South Discovery Series 2020. The winning chef will have the opportunity to visit Alliance’s farms in New Zealand and cook with Pure South products.
Last year, John Skotidas, head chef from Mazi restaurant was crowned the winner of the Te Mana Lamb challenge. He said: “This has been a great unforgettable experience. The tour meant a lot to me. It was a unique way to experience the culture and heritage of Te Mana Lamb.
“I visited some fantastic places that maybe I would never have access to, and I met a fantastic group of people. I had a good taste of New Zealand produce and culture.”
The Te Mana Lamb challenge is free to enter. Entries can be submitted at www.puresouth.co.uk/temanachallenge but close at 9pm on 14 July 2019. Chefs will need to be free for the final, which will take place on 10 September 2019.
Following the entry process, a panel of judges will choose 25 chefs, who will be notified on 16 July, to compete in this year’s challenge. The 25 remaining chefs will have one week to create the dish they submitted in the entry process. Eight dishes with the highest votes will progress into the live final.
This year’s head judge is Simon Hulstone from The Elephant in Torquay Harbour, which has held a Michelin star for the past 14 years. In 2018, Hulstone joined Alliance on their first food and drink discovery tour in New Zealand and has since used Te Mana Lamb his restaurant.
Donna Smith, regional general manager for Alliance UK and Europe, commented: “We are excited to give a talented chef the opportunity to experience this in New Zealand. We are looking forward to seeing the interesting and unique dishes chefs will create with our delicate and flavoursome ingredient.”
For the entry criteria, terms and conditions, visit: https://www.puresouth.co.uk/temanachallenge